Mavs waive West, set to start Curry

The Dallas Mavericks waived guard Delonte West on Monday, and were prepared to start Eddy Curry at center for their regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The team had suspended West, an eight-year veteran, on two separated occasions over the last month for conduct detrimental to the team, most recently on Oct. 25.

West averaged 9.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds through 44 games in 2011-2012, his first season with the Mavericks, and re-signed with the team this past offseason. He appeared in all seven games for the Mavericks in the preseason.

A first-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 2004, West has career averages of 9.7 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds over 432 games (258 starts) with the Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Mavericks.

Meanwhile, the 7-foot Curry -- who was waived by the San Antonio Spurs last Tuesday and picked up by the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday -- is being pushed into service because Chris Kaman is still out with a calf injury, and the Mavs need some size in the middle to go against Lakers center Dwight Howard.

Curry, the No. 4 overall draft pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2001, has been a major disappointment in the pros. He has played in just 24 games (including one start) in the past three seasons combined. He has more personal fouls (35) than rebounds (29) in that span, but was a member of the world champion Miami Heat last season, even though he did not play in the playoffs.

Curry, 29, was immediately put into the starting lineup for the Mavs' final preseason game against the Bobcats over the weekend, and he came up with 11 points and seven rebounds, enough to earn him a starting role in this situation.